This is a story that hasn’t been picked up in the press, but shows the geo-political genius that is Liam Fox at his fullest. At a CCHQ press briefing yesterday he made some off-the-cuff remarks to the effect that Poland and Hungary should have their NATO memberships suspended because they aren’t spending enough on defence – thereby rescinding their security guarantee.

In a risky region that for centuries has been Europe’s prime war zone he wants to destabilise new allies.